Beautiful Freak

In 2005, young German choreographer Marco Goecke, originally from Wuppertal and trained at The Hague Conservatory, became the resident choreographer at the Stuttgarter Ballet and permanent choreographer at Scapino.

His first breathtaking choreography for Scapino, 'Der rest ist schweigen' (2005), one of the highpoints of the 2005/2006 season, was selected for the Dutch Dance Days.
In 2006, Scapino presented two of Goecke's dance pieces - 'Äffi' and 'Ring them bells'.

Marco Goecke is a force to be reckoned purely because his style is so uniquely his own. But perhaps the most fascinating aspect of his work is the boundless multiplicity of passes and movements he endlessly combines and invents in each ballet: shadow boxing, pantomime, super-fast slapstick and abrupt changes in tempo.

The international press has hailed Goecke as the latest hot choreography talent.
On 7 December 2006, Goecke was presented with the Nijinsky Award in Monaco for the most outstanding, extraordinary choreography on the international dance scene.
His responses to many FAQs are as brief as they are clear.

How was your first première at Scapino?
Like any other première. Weeks of work that are over in a couple of minutes.

To give a sense of the essence of 'Beautiful Freak' you wrote: every time we say goodbye, I die a little. What do you mean?
It's a cold, unhappy piece. It is the pain of destroying something beautiful. Something around us or something inside us. It's about lonely people. Lights disappearing into the distance.

Why just 12 men?
There was a time when I thought that the way men dance is closer to me, so I got results faster. I still like working with men but now I can work just as effectively with women.

What is a typical Goecke piece?
I'm still trying to find out.

Are your pieces narrative or abstract?
There's always a story. It may not be clear. Numerous short narratives. It takes time to work it out. It's alarming, not abstract!

Are there recurrent themes in your work?
Yes. It's my world, so I stay true to myself. It reiterates and evolves.

What type of backdrop have you chosen for 'Beautiful Freak'?
There's no backdrop, no scenery. Just blackness.

Do you have a concrete idea when you start to choreograph a piece?
I never have an idea. Maybe rough notes of things I saw or felt. I start the day and see what feelings come up in me, how the others feel, the atmosphere, the weather, and so on. That's how I do it. It always remains a mystery to me.

How do you work with the other dancers?
I feel who they are. I follow them. Even when they do exactly what I want, they also have to understand me. It's an intimate, special means of communicating. They are sad for me and I am sad for them. It's not 'glamorous', it is extremely pure - together we try to grasp something.

How would you describe your style to someone unfamiliar with your work?
I leave that to others.

Can you tell us something about your (characteristic) movement idiom?
It's definitely based on ballet.

Where do you get your movement idiom from, for heaven's sake?
Maybe it's the way I want to dance. The way I've always dreamed of dancing but never could.

Why is it called Beautiful Freak?
Chet Baker sings and plays so 'beautifully'. But he also paid a high price for it. Both sides are present in his work.

You were awarded the Nijinsky prize for 'best emerging' choreographer on the international dance scene? How do you see yourself in the international dance world?
I don't really know much about it. I try to find my own way in the dance world. I try not to learn too much about it because it might disappoint me.